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Lyrics:		4.0
Vocals:		7.0
Technique:		9.0
Replay:		8.0
Originality:		8.0
Score:		8.0

For all the up-tempo dance-pop splendor that Moby showcased on last year’s critically lauded Last Night, an album that was considered by many to be a return to the dance floor and a return to form for the legendary electronica artist, I seemed to always favor the more downplayed ambient side of Moby’s eclectic styles. Luckily for me Moby has followed up the energetic Last Night with a much more subdued, brooding and ambient filled album that seems to tickle my musical fetishes in ways that no Moby album has ever done before. Before I even gave Wait for Me a first listen, the rumors that I was hearing about the album had already peaked my interest. Moby said that the approach he took while writing the album was to “make records that were more personal,” and create something that was “artistically and creatively more satisfying.” While listening to the finished product you can easily see where he’s coming from. Wait for Me is a cohesive swirl of shimmering sounds that all work together to create a beautiful yet weary work of art. It’s heavy-hearted for sure, a far cry from the cheerfully upbeat Last Night, but despite its downtrodden mood it’s just hard to stop listening to the ethereal beauty of it all.

The album begins with a string filled intro that prepares the listener for the journey he or she is about to embark on. It segues well into the slow burn single “Pale Horses” sung by Amelia Zirin Brown, an apparent friend of Moby. All of the vocals on Wait for Me are actually performed by New York area friends of the artist; I guess this adds an even more personal touch to the album. Moby commented about the subject, “On ‘Pale Horses’ my friend Amelia is singing; she's holding a $20 microphone, no headphones, just singing it with me holding the lyrics in front of her pointing to the words. She didn’t know the song before she sang it, so her performance has a vulnerable and almost naive quality. After recording her vocals I thought they still sounded too polished, so I put her vocals on an old 1/8” tape machine and re-recorded them back into the song. I wanted them to sound as if they were recorded 50 years ago instead of in 2008.” And that’s just one of the many unique recording techniques that Moby employed to try and get the sound he was looking for on Wait for Me. Other examples include the fact that the record was recorded in Moby’s home studio rather than an actual professional recording studio and even the album artwork was hand written by Moby himself with a sharpie.

The following track, the dark and theatrical “Shot in the Back of the Head” is no doubt one of the true highlights on the disc. The song opens with a grating synthesizer, building in mounting anticipation before an array of sounds aid it in its continued path towards oblivion. Other songs on the LP that contain less tension are equally as interesting. “JTLF” and its preface track “JTLF-1,” will sweep you away its piano filled aura. The title track is a nice change of pace for it’s slightly more up tempo styling, and the jazzy “Hope Is Gone” is definitely one my favorite tracks on the album.

One of the greatest aspects of Wait for Me is its nearly uninterrupted flow. Other than a couple of wayward moments, such as the out of place “Study War” or the uninspired “A Seat Night,” the album ebbs and flows better than any Moby album since Play, and it actually may be a little more cohesive than that iconic album. From the table setting intro to the dreamy final track “Isolate,” with its weeping guitar, its yearning strings and its show stealing piano work, Wait for Me has completely taken me by surprise. Though I was once a distant admirer of Moby’s ability to bring electronic music to the masses, this album has made me a true fan. It’s dark and dynamic, beautiful and haunting – and it’s not only one of the year’s best full lengths, it’s one of Moby’s finest moments.